'Murali must ignore Bedi's comments'

Former Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga says ace spinner Muralitharan should not react to someone seeking a bit of publicity.

Urging Muttiah Muralitharan to ignore Bishan Singh Bedi's criticism, former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga said the off-spinner should not react to someone seeking a bit of "publicity".

"Why does Murali want to spend his precious time on a person who may be talking under some influence? He should just think that when a dog bites, you don't go and bite the dog," Ranatunga told a private TV channel.

"So he might as well allow him to go and let him have some publicity. Bedi is a fairly old guy, who loves publicity so let him have that," he added.

Bedi had called Muralitharan the "best shotputter in the game" and a "monster created by ICC". The comments enraged Sri Lanka Cricket, which issued a statement criticising the former Indian spinner.

Muralitharan also reacted angrily by writing a letter to Bedi, seeking damages worth Rs 27 crore for his "derogatory remarks".

Bedi, however, remained defiant and said his criticism was targeted at the ICC and should not be seen as a personal attack on Muralitharan.